Ripples in a Sea of Stars
by Shaetil
Summary: The All Blue Nebula was the graveyard of countless space sailors. Still, some brave adventurers tried to navigate the volitile sea of gases and debris, hoping for riches or more. However, only those who had been cowardly enough to turn back quickly actually survived to become the subject of tall tales. That was the legacy of All Blue -that it turned lesser men into heroes...
1. Chapter 1

_I do not claim to own or have created any characters, names or places belonging to One Piece or Treasure Planet. Also Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island, so this is all his idea really. Blame him._

_I began writing this as a present for my lovely friend, Sophiestaar. 3 I hope it meets your expectations, sweetie! _

1.

* * *

The shimmering, solar sails rippled and grew taut as the two-masted sloop soared further into deep space, leaving the little asteroid space port far behind. The ship's mechanisms hummed as the light from the nearby stars was absorbed by the sails and converted into energy. "ALL HANDS BRACE FOR ROCKETS!"

Sanji clutched harder at the rigging and stared back at the space-port that had been his home. It was odd seeing it like this - drifting like giant space sailer in the starscape, and lit by hundreds of tiny lights from the port. From this distance it was almost pretty. Sanji heard the ship's engine switch gears. The rockets engaged with a bone-rattling jolt and Sanji's stomach did flips as he swayed in the rigging... Or maybe it was the realization that he was finally leaving, sinking into his brain. He'd spent all nineteen years of his life on that shitty rock, and as the vessel rapidly picked up speed, Sanji felt a sense of loss that he'd never expected.

That place had been his prison - just a barren hunk of rock with dirty shacks and bars clinging to its surface. He'd hated it there since always. His thoughts had constantly been somewhere off among the stars, and he'd spent hours eagerly questioning the drunk and filthy space travellers that had populated the bar where he worked - yearning for even a second-hand taste of freedom. Day in and day out he'd cleaned, broken up fights, and dreamed of the future when a real deep space vessel would come to dock at their insignificant port.

He'd never really expected for that dream to come true - no one cared about their shitty corner of the universe. However, everything had changed in an instant, and the horns at the port had sounded to guide a deep space sailer into port. Sanji hadn't even realized those things still worked. He'd broken three dishes, but the bar owner had said that he couldn't go see until the dishes were done.

Not even an hour later the sailer's crew came to their bar.

He still didn't understand why, but the captain with his shaggy black hair, devilish grin and massive x-shaped scar on his chest had approached him while he bussed tables and stared, almost as soon as the crew had been seated at a large table. "I'm Luffy, and I'm going to All Blue! Will you join my crew?"

His crewmates had been incredulous and angry, but the captain had ignored them all - staring Sanji down with his sharp black eyes and manic smile. A sane man would have at least hesitated, but Sanji had long lost his mind living out that pale, lifeless existence. He'd found himself on the good ship the Thousand Suns within the day, and now he was sailing away from home for the first time in his life.

"Oi! Shitty deckhand! You are not here to enjoy the view! Get your skinny, blonde ass out of the rigging and help Usopp!"

Sanji slowly climbed down to the deck where the chief mate was waiting with his arms crossed and a dark scowl, "You're fucking slow, shitty curly. If you're going to be this fucking useless I might as well throw you overboard now and replace your weight count with booze!"

Rubbing his sore palms against his pants, Sanji glared back at the chief mate. He really hated this overly-muscled jerk. "My name is Sanji, dickface. Also I'm not useless! I just don't know what the fuck you're asking me to do!"

The chief mate snarled like the big, dumb animal he was and grasped at the hilt of one of the three swords he wore at his hip. Looming over Sanji with an unmistakable air of threat, he stared down the blonde with his one, good eye - the other eye deeply scarred and sealed shut. "Remember this you arrogant little shit. I don't think you're worth the space you're filling. The captain may have brought you on, but I'll be the one kicking you off at the next port if you don't start earning your keep!"

Sanji sneered and drew himself up to his full height, flipping his head to settle his bangs back over his left eye. He wasn't going to just let himself be threatened by this asshole. "I don't think that's your decision. I'm going to be a better sailor than you in no time anyway! It shouldn't be that hard for me to become the chief mate myself considering the current one is missing half his shitty face and the other half is a goddamn terrarium!"

He could practically see the moment when the bigger man decided to murder him. The chief mate's angry face went completely red - color even flooding into the roots of his strange green hair. His wide, rough hands grasped two of his swords with a white-knuckled grip, and all the muscles and tendons under his tan skin were visibly straining. Sanji hurriedly stepped back as the chief mate began to advance with blood-lust raging in his eye. If he was going to fight this brute he needed to get to a more defensible position where it was too narrow for those damn swords to get much use - basically he needed to be anywhere other than where he was out on the weather deck, and in the open. He continued to back away and search for an opening to make a break for the galley or the lower decks, but the chief mate's stance was too aggressive, and his potential range of attack was too long. Just when Sanji actually started to feel nervous, help appeared from above.

"ZOROOOOO! I'M COMING DOWN!"

Alarm flashed across the chief mate's features and he leaped to one side. Mere seconds later the captain dropped, seemingly out of nowhere, and landed heavily on his feet right where the chief mate had been standing. The big guy looked none too happy about nearly being squashed. "LUFFY! YOU ALMOST HIT ME!"

The captain frowned, "You didn't catch me!"

"NO SHIT! DID YOU JUMP FROM THE FUCKING MAINYARD?!"

"Zoro, you're a bad chief mate! I could have been injured!"

"THEN DON'T JUMP FROM THAT HIGH!"

"Idiots..." Sanji muttered under his breath and strolled away with his hands in his pockets - taking advantage of the chief mate's distraction.

"Hey...!" A whisper from overhead drew Sanji's attention. He glanced up to see a blunt snout poking over the edge of the deck above the galley and wide, brown eyes watching his every move. The owner of the muzzle gestured frantically for Sanji to climb up with one dark, hairy arm. "Hurry!"

Sanji looked back to where the chief mate was still scolding the laughing captain, and figured he was better off not finishing the fight he'd picked earlier. He jumped as high as he could and grasped the wooden guard rail - feet scrabbling as he pulled himself onto the quarter-deck. As he crouched on the wooden planks and watched to see if the chief mate was still looking to slice him in half, the crewman who'd called him up urgently tugged on his sleeve to draw Sanji away from the edge. "Come on!"

Allowing himself to be pulled out of sight, Sanji grinned at the nervous space sailor who was tugging restlessly at a few strands of his curly black hair that had worked loose from his mess ponytail. "Usopp, wasn't it?"

Usopp turned back to Sanji with huge, accusing brown eyes, "Are you insane?! Zoro was going to kill you!"

Sanji shrugged, "I can handle myself. I would have been fine."

Floppy ears covered in fine, curly hairs twitched unhappily as Usopp whined his throat. "You better be careful. He might not stab you in the back, but Zoro is definitely going to try and get rid of you! He's really strong, and he's pretty scary when he's pissed."

Smiling, Sanji patted the concerned sailor on his solidly-muscled shoulder, "Thanks for the warning, friend."

Usopp's expression betrayed his amazement, "You really aren't afraid of him, are you?"

"I made my living back home dealing with lugs like him all the time. Like I said, I know what I'm doing."

"If you say so..." Usopp adjusted his overalls as he stood tall, "Of course I'm really the one they all look up to around here! Naturally I was only concerned about you! I'd never back down from a brawl with Zoro!"

Sanji raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? I'll be sure to ask for pointers sometime then."

After taking a moment to brush off his black pants and charcoal-grey vest, Sanji shoved his hands back into his pockets and looked back in the direction from where they'd come, "So, uh... Zoro, said you needed help?"

Usopp nodded, "The mast on the deck here is our mainmast. We need to replace our headsail because Nami said she saw a rip somewhere after cast-off."

Sanji stared up at the glittering solar sails uncertainly. This was his first time on a ship of any kind, and he had honestly no clue what half of what Usopp had just said even meant. "We just need to... replace the sail?"

"It's not so bad. At least it's not the big one. Come on. I'll show you how!"

As Sanji followed Usopp up into the rigging, he couldn't help but feel like this was a bad idea. He really should be wearing some sort of safety rope, and how the fuck did that knot work again? Usopp had already taken down the old sail and folded it away neatly to be repaired, and in the meantime Sanji hadn't even been able to tie a single knot. Usopp returned and tried to give advice, but Sanji only grew more confused and frustrated.

"Don't worry, Sanji! Not everyone can be the galaxy's greatest knot-tie-er!" Usopp puffed out his chest as he took the rope out of Sanji's fumbling hands and deftly tied that shitty knot without even looking, "I once saved an entire planet that was made out of rope, you know. It was starting to unravel and..."

"Wow, that's interesting..." Sanji interrupted and jerked a thumb over his shoulder, "But you know what? I'm just going to get out of your way. Since you're the expert."

Sanji escaped down the rigging before Usopp could protest. Sulking at his recent failure, Sanji jumped down from the quarter-deck and strode over to lean moodily on the ship's rail. "Sanji?"

He jumped at the sweet womanly tones of the navigator's voice and spun to see her frowning with her soft, orange-furred ears laying flat against her long, flame-hued hair. "Weren't you supposed to be assisting Usopp?"

"Yes but..." Sanji hated to disappoint a lady, but there was no way he'd be any use in the rigging.

"You don't know how to do any of it, do you? Tying the lines and such?"

"No, ma'am. I'm terribly sorry." He hurriedly reassured her, "But I can learn! Just give me time...!"

She interrupted him, waving a slender hand tipped with sharp claws, "No. We don't have time for that right now. I'm just going to have you help in the galley. You worked in a bar so you can do that much, right?"

Sanji's shoulders slumped and he nodded miserably. It seemed that he hadn't really left his old life behind at all. He followed in sullen silence as Nami led him to the galley - muttering under her breath the whole way. "I don't know what the hell Luffy was thinking..."

Well now he really felt worthless. Sanji sighed as he followed the beautiful navigator inside. He was met by the sounds of gears clicking and rhythmic chopping, and a deep voice humming a song Sanji didn't know.

"Why good evening, Miss navigator. Supper isn't ready yet, but I can find something for you if you're feeling peckish..." Sanji watched curiously as the cook wiped his hands on his apron - one hand made entirely of metal rods and gears. The cook's abnormally long, braided moustache twitched as he grinned at them toothily - his wrinkles deepening around his eyes. Eye, rather. A robotic eye squinted in mimicry of the left eye - its red, pupil-less lens sending a chill down Sanji's spine.

"That's not necessary, Mr. Baratie." Nami gestured to Sanji, "He's going to be working for you from now on."

The smile dropped instantly, and the cook frowned at Sanji, "This baby vegetable? Now see here, Missy, I can't be babysitting shitty brats! This is a galley, not a playpen!"

"Hey...!" Sanji's protest was silenced by a glare from Nami.

Nami crossed her arms, "Nonetheless, Sanji isn't suitable for sailwork, and god knows I'm not letting him anywhere near Franky or else we won't have a ship...! Just keep him busy and out of trouble. You can do that, can't you Mr. Baratie?"

"Aye, Miss. I can keep the skinny eggplant busy. If he doesn't shape up though I'll put him in a stew!"

"You see that you do. Thank you, Mr. Baratie."

Nami left, and the two men stood in silence - eyeing each other up cautiously. The cook broke the silence first, "You're just skin and bones there, aren't you? You better eat up now. You'll be working through dinner."

Sanji watched in amazement as the cook's robotic hand shifted and changed into a long handled ladle. The older man scooped the thick, brown contents from a pot on the stove into a bowl and shoved it into Sanji's chest. Sanji grabbed the bowl and took hold of the spoon. "Eat already, eggplant."

He shot a glare at the cook, "My name is Sanji. San - JI."

"I don't really fucking care what your name is brat. You will call me head cook or sir. And if you don't fucking eat every last drop of that stew I will personally break your tailbone with my leg here!"

The cook gave him a pointed look as he patted the iron pegleg replacing his right foot. "You're a cyborg?"

The cook rolled his eyes, "Well aren't you a fucking genius. When you're done put on an apron and wash your damn hands."

Sanji blew on the stew to cool it before starting to eat. It was delicious - way better than anything he'd ever had back home. Sanji ate everything and even scraped the bowl with his spoon to get the last drops. The cook wasn't watching him eat - as he had resumed his work, chopping vegetables and other ingredients with the multiple knives that had sprung from his metal hand. However, as Sanji carefully rinsed off his bowl and spoon in the sink, he felt that the cook's back radiated less hostility than before.

"Get your slow ass ready to work, shitty eggplant."

Maybe it was just his imagination.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

* * *

It had only been two days and Sanji was already to jump overboard if he had to peel another goddamn potato. He was currently hiding on top of the crow's nest from that shitty head cook. It was the first place he'd thought of when he decided it was time to escape Zeff's iron fist. Surely an old geezer with a pegleg wouldn't be able to get him all the way up here. So far no one had bothered him, and even though the morning hours had come and gone, that shitty old cyborg hadn't come looking to put him to work, or to skin him and cook him alive.

Sitting with his back firmly pressed against the top of the mast that protruded from the roof of the crow's nest, Sanji absently practiced tying the knots that Usopp had shown him on an old piece of rope that he'd found. Maybe he could just stay up here forever. His eyes wandered over the starscape as he tried to recognize just where he was in the universe. He felt more than a little lost when he couldn't recognize any of the clusters of stars.

Sailing wasn't what he'd expected at all.

Anything was better than that shitty little port where he'd grown up, but so far, aside from the view, sailing was proving to be just about as boring as the life he'd escaped from. Where were the monsters? The storms? The villanous pirates? And weren't deep space sailors supposed to be jovial, with booze, dancing and music every night? Apart from the captain, all the crew seemed to spend their days working, cleaning or napping. Forget the dancing, the crew wasn't even pleasant to be around. The captain was annoying, Usopp was weird, the shitty old cook was a shitty old man... He hadn't even SEEN the rest of the crew mush aside from meals. Nami ignored him and he could swear that he'd seen a second woman in the shadows, but she always vanished when he looked again. The other men on the crew reminded him of all the disgusting bastards he used to throw out of his former workplace. Zoro was the worst one though. Sanji couldn't stand the guy. He'd almost tripped over the chief mate this morning when he'd snuck out of the crews' bunk - the bastard had been sleeping in the hall that lead to the bathroom. What the hell was with that?

Sanji eyed his most recent attempt at knotting - a bowline with a half hitch. It looked as awful as his last try - if not worse. He sighed and began picking the knot apart once more. Maybe he really wasn't cut out for sailing after all.

"So this is where you ran off to..."

Sanji startled and snapped his head around only to find himself being stared down by the head cook. The old cyborg looked him over with narrowed eyes and his eyebrows furrowed into a deeper frown. "What have you got there, eggplant?"

He wordlessly held out the partly undone knot. Raising his eyebrows in interest, Zeff awkwardly pushed himself up onto the roof, and his cyborg arm stretched out the short distance to grasp the mast. The cook used his robotic grip to help himself up the rest of the way until he was solidly standing on the roof of the crow's nest. Still holding the mast, Zeff hobbled closer and settled himself beside Sanji.

Sanji relinquished his sad little knot and waited sullenly for the lecture and curses he was sure would come shortly - he had missed preparing and serving breakfast after all. Zeff turned the rope over in his hands a few times before grunting and handing it back. "Needs work, but you seem to be on the right track."

Shrugging, Sanji tugged the knot apart and began tying again. He stared at the rope in his hands, avoiding the old man's stare. "You missed breakfast, eggplant."

No shit. Sanji scowled but didn't say anything. Zeff reached out and tapped the rope - non-verbally pointing out a step Sanji had missed. "So are ya sick?"

"No."

"No?" Zeff rested his arms on his knees watching as Sanji finished the knot, "That's good. I imagine you're pretty tired of peeling."

Sanji snorted, "Yeah. I don't know why we have to eat so many of the damn things!"

Zeff gave him a serious look, "There wasn't much we could stock up with on that shitty rock you came from. Come on down, eggplant. Let's get you fed. But first I want to show you something."

Sanji watched the cyborg carefully lower himself back onto the rigging and begin to climb back down. That was all? No screaming? Sanji had even been prepared for Zeff to give him a black eye at the very least. That's what would have happened back home. Maybe this cyborg was all talk. He could take advantage of that.

Pocketing his first successful knot, Sanji slid off the roof and followed Zeff back to the deck.

The old cyborg led him across the deck, up the stairs and through the galley, and finally Zeff pulled out a keyring to unlock the food storage and led Sanji inside. "This is the most important part about being a cook on a deep space vessel."

Sanji looked around, "Where's all the food?"

Zeff kicked one of the three barrels sitting in the far corner. Each one was a good foot taller than the head cook and twice as wide in the middle. "Potatoes. That's it. There are some pieces of salted Karrish pork in the freezer and I have enough vegetable for one last stew, but after tonight it's potatoes."

"Are... Are we going to starve?" Sanji looked at Zeff with anxious eyes.

The old cook laughed, "Hardly! Our, fortunately, very talented navigator promised me that we would reach a large port a little less than two days from now. But do you understand?"

"Understand... what?"

Zeff grimaced, "If we are thrown off course by a storm, if the solar engine breaks, or if we get lost... If we are stranded for weeks, what would you do then, eggplant? How would you plan to keep the crew alive?"

Sanji shuddered as he stared at the three lonely barrels in the dark corner.

"A ship's cook always needs to know how to answer that." Zeff patted his shoulder heavily as the cook limped by him and back out into the galley. "Come and eat your potato pancakes. Then I'll be having you peel me more potatoes for lunch."

"Fine..." Sanji frowned but willingly followed the cook back into the galley.

Zeff pulled a plate out of the oven and set it on the sturdy, wooden table. Sanji slid into his seat and accepted his fork and knife from the head cook. Zeff lingered as Sanji took his first bite. He groaned with pleasure and his stomach roared back to life, reminding Sanji just how hungry he was. The head cook grunted in satisfaction. "Glad to see that you are smart enough to recognize good cooking. Eat all of it, brat."

He was taken entirely by surprise when Zeff punched him on the top of his head before roaring, "AND DON'T YOU EVER SKIP ANOTHER GODDAMN MEAL WHILE YOU'RE ON THIS FUCKING SHIP!"

"OW! SHIT! FINE OLD MAN!"

"CALL ME HEAD COOK!"

"FUCK YOU!"

Sanji clutched his head and gingerly felt the spot where Zeff had hit him the second time. The cook was muttering under his breath about goddamn, shitty brats and disrespectful baby vegetables in his galley. Glaring the whole time, Sanji wolfed down his delicious pancakes before taking his dirty dishes to the sink to wash. "Hurry up with that and get your skinny ass to peeling. You gave yourself a fucking morning off so now you can work twice as hard!"

Sanji growled, but when Zeff glared at him with that red, robotic eye, he didn't dare argue.

He peeled every damn potato that the old man had set aside for lunch. Zeff left him alone to his task, only coming over once and correcting how he was holding the knife. When he was finished, his arms and back hurt, and his thumb was raw and painful from where he'd ended up with shallow cuts from the peeling knife. Sanji kicked the bucket lightly as he stood and stretched. "I'm done."

Zeff looked over from where he was standing in front of an open cabinet and writing in a small, leather book. "Good. Put the peels in the cold storage. We'll have those later. And bring over the potatoes here." Zeff patted the counter.

Sanji wrinkled his nose, "We're going to eat the peels?"

"Of course, shitty brat! Don't you ever forget - never waste food. Do I need to show you the storeroom again?"

Goosebumps raised along his skin and Sanji shook his head, "No! I just thought that the peels were inedible, old ma... Sir."

Zeff's warning glare softened when Sanji corrected his words, "Actually the peels are the most nutritious part of the potato. Fry 'em with some salt and garlic and they make an excellent snack or a side dish. Nothing gets unused in this kitchen."

The head cook reached over and inspected one of the potatoes when Sanji brought them over. "You're still not making the peels thin enough. However this'll do."

Zeff's robotic hand clicked and retracted into his arm before an impressive looking knife blade slid into the place where the cook's hand had been. "Watch carefully, eggplant."

Sanji's eyes widened when the cyborg effortlessly sliced the potato on the counter lengthwise into perfectly straight wedges of the same thickness. The speed was impressive and Sanji couldn't tear his eyes away when the old man put down another potato. "Think you can slice them like that then? Or are you going to run off again to cry?"

Reaching out and pulling a knife from the block, Sanji glared at the head cook, "Sure I can, shitty old man!"

Zeff cuffed him roughly on the back of his head, "See that you do."

As he turned back to the nearly bare cupboards, Zeff smirked through his moustache, "You need to get another knife there, shitty eggplant. That one is for fish."

"MY NAME IS SANJI!"

The old man chuckled nastily as he watched the hot-headed blonde grab the correct knife and carefully imitate everything he'd seen Zeff do. Sanji muttered curses and insults the entire time he worked, and Zeff pretended not to hear as he continued... whatever the fuck he was doing. When the last potato was finished, Sanji felt pretty pleased with himself. He didn't get the slices perfectly even - but he came pretty damn close.

"Looks like shit. Guess I should have done it myself after all. Well, get the vinegar and we'll put those on to simmer."

Sanji scowled as he stomped over to the cabinet that Zeff was indicating with his pen. He hated this shitty old man! And he HATED potatoes!

"You made this yourself, Sanji?"

His heart skipped a beat as Nami smiled up at him, her ears perked in interest. "I'm impressed! You seem to be learning fast."

Sanji puffed out his chest, holding his bandaged hand behind his back. "It's nothing! I guess it just comes naturally!"

Zeff rolled his eyes, but Sanji ignored him. Damn old man was just jealous. He should be grateful that Sanji was even helping his rusted old ass!

The captain smiled as he eagerly pulled another plate closer, "You're a really good cook, Sanji!"

He could see nothing but sincerity in the captain's eyes, and as the others nodded in agreement, Sanji had to look away. He felt warm and just... weird. Even that asshole chief mate grunted in rude acknowledgement of Luffy's statement while he stuffed his face. It was too much. He'd hardly done anything. He found himself struggling to swallow past a lump that had formed in his throat. Zeff's hand rested heavily on his shoulder for a moment as the head cook walked by.

"Dishes, eggplant. Get to it."

Sanji shot the old man a glare before stomping off to do his second least favorite task, and knowing that the blonde couldn't see it, the old cook's lips quirked in amusement beneath his moustache.


End file.
